To Be Brave Is To Be Selfless
by AudiannaMaslow
Summary: Tierney Eaton was alone after her brother left Abnegation. She had to face her abusive father alone and of course she can't say anything. Because being Abnegation is about everyone else's wants and needs and not your own. What will she do when her aptitude test tells her differently against everything she was raised on? Can she manage to leave her father like her brother did?...
1. Prologue

"Tobias! I don't want you to go!" I cried into my brother's arms. We were sitting in his room, the grey surrounded us, wrapping around and suffocating everything. He held me to him and petted my long dark brown hair. He kept whispering soft coos into my ear. I knew what would happen if our father came home and heard us, well me, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Tonight, when father gets home, you are to be silent about the whole matter." I sniffled. "I know, I know." He smiled at me. He looked so mature and I admired that.

"Now, why don't you go and clean up the kitchen for dinner. Father will be home soon."

We both stood up and walked down the stairs from Tobi's room. I went into the kitchen and Tobi went to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I forgot a book at school. I'll be back very soon."

"Okay."

With that he left. I was alone in the suffocatingly grey house. Because that's how our faction is. Grey, quiet and invisible. We helped everyone all the time out of selflessness and I hated it. All I wanted to do was run around and have fun. Make friends and play. But that wasn't allowed. Wanting friends was selfish, and wanting to play was a personal pleasure, which was also selfish.

Later that night I laid in my room, crying, listening to our father beat Tobias with his belt. Over and over again my father said, "This is for your own good", before every lash. I knew that when Tobias left, my father would move on to me and beat me senseless for hours on end. Saying that phrase to me, over and over again. I fell asleep to my brother's screams, knowing that tomorrow was going to be the last day I would probably ever see my big brother Tobias.

The next morning, we woke up, got dressed, and headed to The Hub silently. The Hub was a very tall, very large building that held most of the faction wide social gatherings. A rainbow of colour spilled through the doors. Amity, Erudite and Candor took the elevators while Abnegation, my faction, took the stairs. The Dauntless were already up there in the Ceremony room. This year, it was their turn to host.

After making it to the top, covering 23 flights of stairs, the Abnegation silently poured into the Ceremony room. A large man with dark skin and tattoos was standing up at the podium, next to five bowls. Water for Erudite, burning coals for Dauntless, glass for Candor, dirt for Amity, and grey stones for Abnegation. Tobias stood in line and my father and I stood in front of him. My father placed a hand on his shoulder, making both of us wince in pain.

"I'll see you soon, son. I expect you know the correct decision to make," After our father started walking away, I tightly wrapped my arms around Tobias's midsection. He hugged me back, petting my hair and kissing my forehead.

"Don't worry Tierney. You're a diamond in the rough. You'll make it out, I promise. You just have to be patient. I love you so much," he said.

"I love you too Tobias. Just be careful. I'll come see you on visiting day!" I told him.

But that day never came. Tobias let his blood fall on Dauntless and that night was the worst night ever. My father was in shock, then he became angry. He took that anger out on me. I could barely walk for a week with how much and how hard he lashed me. It hurt so bad, and my father banned me from going to see Tobias on Visiting day. I wanted to so bad, but I was terrified of what he might do to me if he found out, so I stayed home, hoping that Tobias didn't hate me for not coming to see him.


	2. Chapter One

I woke up in a cold sweat and tears rushing down my face, breathing heavily. The recurring nightmare had never felt so real to me. Tossing the blankets back and dressing in a grey, long sleeve dress, with grey sneakers was my morning routine. I brushed through my long, layered, silky, dark brown hair, tying it up into a bun. Being in Abnegation was simple, plain, and down right boring. I had overstepped my boundaries several times in the past few days. I had asked questions, challenged my father, and criticized the morals of the Abnegation. Each time it earned ten lashes with my father's leather belt. But I took it head on, not crying out, and taunting my father. Two years ago, I never would have thought about doing any of this, but lately, I just couldn't take the boredom of living here. I had to make it more interesting.

Today was the day that I would take my aptitude test. It would tell whether or not I belonged in Abnegation, or any of the other Factions. It was the day I've been waiting for. Tomorrow, I would choose which Faction I belonged in if I chose the test's resulting Faction, or if I choose my own Faction. One thing's for sure, no matter what, I would not choose Abnegation. I don't think I'd be able to stand the boredom any longer.

My father already had breakfast ready when I came down the stairs. He never made breakfast. He must really want me to stay in Abnegation. I sat down at the table and didn't say anything. I ate my oatmeal quickly. "Are you nervous?" my father asked me, sitting across from me.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I'm going to school..."

On the bus to school, I watched Caleb Prior, the son of my fathers "left-hand-man" give his seat up for an elderly Candor man. His sister Beatrice just sat awkwardly while Caleb stood. I sat in the back, thinking about my brother again. He always made sure I had a place to sit on the bus because I was so short. The back was always bumpy and he loved it because he got to jump around and make me laugh. I remember he loved making me laugh.

At school, I stood in front of the windows, watching the Dauntless get off the train. I loved doing this, it was a definite part of everyday. They all jumped off the moving train. Some rolled, some stumbled, some flipped, it was amazing. They all came running down the hill and through the square towards the school building. Everyone parted in the hallways as they came running in, whooping and yelling and laughing. I wanted that. It seemed epic and very not boring. As they ran past in the beautifully black, leather, tight clothes, one of them bumped into me, knocking me against the wall. At the back of the pack of Dauntless runners, a tallish boy with light tan skin and dark brown eyes. He was very handsome, and had a kind, shining smile. He slowed when he came to me, who was quickly picking up my books. He stopped and offered me a hand. I looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Sorry about them, they're first years here at the Upper Level."

I took his hand and allowed him to pull me up to my feet.

"A nice Dauntless helping an Abnegation girl? That's unheard of. Shouldn't you be laughing at me, calling me a Stiff?" I said, fixing my bag on my shoulder.

"A curious Abnegation girl? Asking a bunch of questions none the less? That's unheard of. Shouldn't you be quietly walking away?"

"Touché," I said smiling at him.

"My name's Uriah," he said.

"Tierney. You should probably catch up with your friends, they might make fun of you or conversing with a Stiff."

"You're probably right. Maybe I'll see you around?"

He asked it as a question as if he wanted to talk to me again. This is unheard of. Dauntless don't talk to Abnegation. Factions do not mix. It just doesn't happen. But here he was, talking to me, and being sophisticated. I didn't even know that was possible for Dauntless out in public, who knows what they're like in their headquarters.

"Yeah, maybe."

It was this conversation that lead me to believe that I was definitely NOT Abnegation.

After school, all of us sixteen year olds have to take the Aptitude test today. I sat in the waiting room on the Abnegation side of the room, next to Caleb and Beatrice, and across from the Dauntless students. Uriah smiled at me, earning a smack to the head and a reprimand by one of his friends, but he smiled at me again secretly while "looking down" at the ground.

However, his smile faltered as my name was called, along with his own.

"Tierney Eaton and Uriah Pedrad."

We both stood and walked together, silently, following a Candor woman.

"So, you're Tierney Eaton?" Uriah asked after a few seconds.

"You've heard of me..." I said, sounding a little surprised.

"You're Marcus Eaton's daughter. The leader of the Abnegation. I was at the Choosing Ceremony that your brother chose Dauntless. It was my brother's ceremony as well."

"Well, I suspect that your brother didn't change factions and bring hell upon your family?"

"Ooh, definitely not Abnegation," he said to me. I was ultimately shocked that he seemed so interested in me.

"You're definitely something else, Tierney," he said as the Candor woman showed us our two seperate rooms. This was going to be interesting. All I know is that I cannot be in Abnegation.


End file.
